Rangers-Giants Game 2: The Laughing Lady Is Back!

The Rangers were supposed to be the offensive powerhouse and the Giants were the weak hitting team?

Cliff Lee was supposed to be the shut-it-down ace and Matt Cain hasn’t given up a run in the postseason?

Neftali Feliz was supposed to be the Rangers’ most potent weapon out of the pen but Ron Washington went to two guys who couldn’t find the strike zone in a must-win game with his team only down by two runs?

The Rangers supposedly beat the Yankees because they were younger and fitter but senior citizens/playoff veterans Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe were tonight’s Giants stars?

There are supposed to be drunken, loud, insulting baseball fans at every stadium and yet the crowd in SF was so happy cheering for their team that I didn’t hear a single “Rangers suck” chant?

Yeah, I know. Maybe fans reserve that special display of affection for the Yankees. But still. It was a pleasure to see such a lighthearted group, dressed in their silly costumes and waving their silly rags and having a great time. Lucky them.

Will the Rangers rally at home? Probably. Maybe. I don’t know. Lots can happen over a seven-game series. It just seems as if the Giants have the magic this year.

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I couldn’t stop laughing watching the antics in the 8th inning tonight! This was a crazy game, one that Texas seemed to concede quite willingly. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the Series goes down in Texas this weekend. Go Giants!!

That was a crazy 8th inning! Derek Holland looked totally lost on the mound. I felt bad for him. Aaron Rowland would have had an inside the park home run if Vlad had been in right field!

I’m glad you wrote about the fans Jane. Normally I get annoyed by fans, especially when they are twirling things around. Last night I was trying to figure out why I liked these fans. I was wondering if they didn’t annoy me because they weren’t rooting against the Yankees. Then I came to the same conclusion as you. There isn’t a spirit of meanness and machismo about their cheering. They are having a giant party for the Giants. It looks like so much fun!

I was actually feeling a little jealous about the characters they have on the Giants and the amount of fun everyone was having. The Yankees are usually so “business as usual.” But then I remembered Swisher, and Cano and Jeter and how when things are going well they do have fun.

Can someone please shut McCarver and Buck up? They are the top members of the Ron Washington fan club. I wish I had kept track of every time they mentioned his name. I think the only time I heard them say “Bruce Bochy” was when he made a pitching change. Those two can sure beat a dead horse. And McCarver was telling some stupid story when the final out was made and barely reacted to the out and the Giants’ win.

Jane: Well, the Giants still had their offense, alright! They are CLOBBERING Texas and it feels so right. I hope the Rangers get swept, but you are right: a lot can still happen. But the Giants are looking mighty fine…they may have even beaten the Yanks! Maybe it’s okay that we didn’t make it…and I cant watch the World Series anyways, thanks to FOX :P
-Virginiahttp://southernbelle.mlblogs.com

Welcome back, laughing lady – I missed you! Really enjoying the series, which I’m only watching with half an eye picture-in-picture. But still, as a one-time, relatively short-term resident of the Bay Area, this is great. Let’s see what happens in Texas, especially if Washington makes the decision to go to Cliff Lee on short rest even though he implied he wouldn’t. Just hope he doesn’t hurt him for us before we have a chance to sign him here (cue laughing lady).
Jane

I’m back from my trip and knee-deep in a kitchen remodeling project that is not going as planned (surprise, surprise.) As soon as we got home our new appliances were delivered and guess what – the refrigerator doesn’t fit. In fact, all new refrigerators are too tall for the space we have. My husband had to take out the cabinet and raise it two inches – fun stuff. And we still need to exchange the fridge that was just delivered for one that is narrower and shallower. I’m going to lose six cubic feet of fridge space! What a disaster – and the appliances were supposed to be the easy part! It’s almost a relief that the Yankees are not in the WS because I don’t have the emotional energy to spare right now.

I have, however, managed to sneak in a few innings of world series baseball and am amazed at what I am seeing. The Rangers are looking as hapless against the giants as we looked against them. Poor C.J. Wilson – he must have felt like he was having deja vu all over again last night! The Giants are looking very good, very confident, very relaxed. Maybe there is something to this having fun idea:).

Just wanted to share with you something I heard on our local ESPN radio station while driving around yesterday. One of the local hosts was asking people to call in with our nominations of the worst sports commentators. Before I could grab my cell phone and talk about Ernie Johnson and the TBS team the host himself started talking about how awful EJ was during the division series and ALCS and how watching on TBS was painful. So it wasn’t just us who couldn’t stand those guys!

Speaking of guys, I’ve noticed women never call this local show and I am determined to break that barrier. I’ll let you know when that happens.

“We got to get together sooner or later,
Because the revolution’s here…
And you know it’s right…and you know that it’s right…”
— Thunderclap Newman, “Something In The Air,” 1970

Somethin’ is truly goin’ on. Or at least it has, so far. Maybe it’s the amazingly perfect Giants colors blending with the Haloween atmosphere. Maybe that something in the air is just all that happy-weed-smoke they’re always talking about up northern Californy-way (AT the ballpark too!). Here are some choice tidbits from the recent sports commentary…
“…a powerful convergence of forces…”
“…surreal stuff…cosmic spookiness…”
“…something downright paranormal…”

And here are the winners, my favorites:
“The Texas Rangers are in deep cow-pies.”
“…no choice but to win Game 3. Otherwise, they’re deader than the COWBOYS…”

Oooh, I like that! And, how ELSE can you explain that HR that wasn’t a HR by Kinsler…and Renteria’s where-did-that- come from tater…and Mr. Holland’s New Opus (reminiscent of Bob Uecker in “Major League” — Ball 4 — Ball 8 — Ball 12 –how can they lay off pitches that close?) I have to say, I’d just stand and look at Holland’s offerings too — wooden shoe?

Aw, shucks…just havin’ a grand time while there’s some grand times to be had. Yes, this Series could turn right around, like it did to the Braves in ’96 against Our Yanks, and like it did to the Cards in ’85 against KC (somehow, I think Jeff may remember)… so I may be swallowing a BIG slice of Humble Pie by Monday — but in the meantime, oh my goodness, this is fun…!

I think perhaps the most gratifying thing about the beginning of this series is that all of those people who have called me a “bitter Yankee fan” have been somewhat silenced. They wouldn’t even consider the notion that this bitter Yankee fan put fourth about how perhaps it’s not that the Rangers were so unbelievably phenomenal against the Rays and Yankees as much as it was that the Rays and Yankees were off…waaaaay off. I got nothing but ridicule when I likened the Yanks ALCS performance this year to the everyday performance of our AAA team, the Isotopes. Perhaps now they will see that while yes, their team (or their newfound team–as it’s very trendy in NM to join the bandwagon of the week) did play good ball, they had lots of help. It’s nice to see them play (and lose) to a team that is actually on their A-game. Go Giants!

I think back in the 80s Giants fans were a lot meaner, booing everybody, including their own team. These days though, I love the fans. Not that I go to AT&T all the time, but when I have, it’s been nothing but great. I have no idea what’s going on with these Rangers. This is not your typical Giants experience. The games should be much closer and far more torturous. I was going to ask you how it felt to root for the Giants, but obviously it’s been pretty good so far. ;)

The 8th inning was a catastrophic failure for the Rangers, westcoastgirl – one mistake after another. The relievers looked like deer (and antlers) in the headlights and, having been there watching the Yankees pen fall apart, I feel their pain. On the other hand, I did enjoy it!

I agree with you there, Paul. He’s made some curious moves in this series so far, starting with putting Vlad in right for Game 1.

That’s what I kept asking, Wendy. Where were these stooges when we were playing them? We could have used a little help!

Yup, it did look like the crowd was having a party, Melissa. I posted about that on Facebook though and was reminded that it’s a different story against their arch rivals, the Dodgers. But in the meantime, there doesn’t seem to be any animosity and even the orange towels don’t bother me. They’re perfect for Halloween and some of the costumes people were wearing were hilarious. As for Buck/McCarver, I’m with you. I couldn’t believe Tim was trying to shoehorn that who-cares story in while the Giants were making their last out and winning the game! And did we really need that closeup of C.J. Wilson’s blister????

I’d still like our chances against the Giants, Virginia. Despite getting clobbered by the Rangers, I think it would have been an interesting matchup. Well, except that now we know Pettitte and CC were both hurt. Never mind. Sorry you don’t get Fox, btw. Have you thought of buying the Postseason TV? Cablevision is reimbursing people.

It certainly could go 7 games, Jeff. Stranger things have happened and people are quick to declare a winner after just the first two. But the Giants have looked awfully confident throughout.

The laughing lady is laughing at your last comment, ladyjane. We need Cliff Lee fresh for the series against the Tigers. LOL. Actually, the short rest doesn’t seem to bother pitchers as much as long rest does.

Aaargh, Audrey. What a mess. Maybe it was the full moon the other night? A kitchen remodel and the refrigerator doesn’t fit? Sounds like a Giant (in honor of them) pain in the butt. I’m having car problems too but I think I’ll save the story for tonight’s post. So the radio guys were complaining about Ernie and company too? I would think TBS has to take a long, hard look at next year because the reviews this year weren’t good. They weren’t good last year either and they removed Chip Carey. And yes, you must call into that station and be the first she-fan to do it!!!!

Deep in cow-pies. LOL, Dave. I like that one too. It’s true that Kinsler’s homer that wasn’t would have put the Rangers on the board and maybe changed the momentum, but I still don’t think it would have mattered. Not with that bullpen. Yes, things could turn around on Saturday in Arlington for sure. But from the look on Nolan Ryan’s face last night, somebody’s gonna get a whuppin.

I think it was a little of both, peppyp7 – the Yankees were off and the Rangers were in a zone. Not a good combo for us. But that’s what the postseason is about; the hot team wins. The Yanks had a great first half but fizzled down the stretch, while the Giants picked up their game right when it counted.

Yeah, I thought every Giants game was supposed to be TORTURE, kaiser! Last night was a breeze. But there could be torture in store in Texas. We’ll see. Interesting that the fans used to be meaner. Maybe all that flower power has sunk in. :)

Thanks for the laughin lady Jane. It put a smile on my face. I even saved a copy of her when I first saw you using her.
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The …..suck is more used for the Dodgers and of course the Beat LA chant. Painful to see the hated jints doing well. They were not supposed to be a hitting machine. I don’t know what to make of this Ranger team. Did they only rise to the occasion against the Rays and Yankees?
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Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

I’ve heard the fans in SF are much more vocal when the Dodgers come to town, Emma. You guys have a rivalry akin to Yankees-Red Sox. I know it must be tough to watch your rivals doing so well. Don’t know what to make of the Rangers but they’re not looking so formidable this time around – at least not yet.

I did read that the ratings were down because the Yanks aren’t in the series, Diane. I didn’t know about the comparison to Modern Family’s ratings though. I’m glad the Girardi signing happened quickly so the organization can move on to the pitching coach and other matters. I’ve had lots of questions about Joe’s moves but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have in his place. He’s done a lot of good things for this team.

It might be old age setting in but I don’t recall the last W.S. game that was that lopsided. Awful. Another record I just heard. Game 1 was watched by fewer viewers that “Modern Family” — one of the funniest sitcom’s in the history of television. A W.S. game has not been beaten by a regular episode of a tv show since 1983 or 1993 (I’m not sure which year they said) — at any rate, I must say that if our Yankees were in the W.S. this year that would never have happened.

Glad Girardi signed on for 3 more years – just waiting to see who comes on as pitching coach.

Jane,
In the end, this series will be defined by the winner taking and adjusting their gameplans to fir their competitors’.
I do not think the Giants are a better team top to bottom, but they have relied on all 25 members of this squad to formulate and execute a great battle plan so far. They have bent but not broken at the right moments and kept the game in their favor while forging through the crooks and narrows left vacant by the Rangers.
In the end, the adaptability and flexible surge of the G-men might just get them a title before the Rangers wake up…
Guess you don’t mess with San Fran either….right Texas?

Making adjustments is what it will take for Texas to get back in it, Renegade. The Giants are playing with a ton of confidence, but if the Rangers pitchers fire on all cylinders it will get interesting. Cliff Lee needs to be Cliff Lee.

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